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C. W. BAILEY AND J. H. STEWART.

BLANK FEEDING MECHANISM APPLICATION man N0v 20. I915.

Patented Dec. 16, 1919.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 1 C. W. BAILEY AND J. H. STEWART.

BLANK FEEDING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.20, I915.

Patented Dec. 16, 1919.-

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2 c. w. BAILEY AND J. H. STEWART? I BLANK FEEDING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED N'ov.2o, 1915.

Patented De0. 16,1919.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

M wow Q a 5K s? A. 7/ x mM K E mfi WU a w\\\\\\l mm 0 ll rrq. m Y. 3.

C. W. BAILEY AND J. H. STEWART.

BLANK FhEDING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED uovrzo. 191s.

Patented Dec. 16, 1919.

5 SHEETSSHEET 4- STATEta PATENT @FFKGE.

CHARLES W. BAILEY AND JOHN HALE/ZONE) fiTEiVABT, BF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS; SAID BAILEY ASSIGNQR TO SAID SEEWABT.

I BLANK-FEEDING MECHANISM.

Continuation in part of application To all whom 2'25 may concern:

Be it known that we, Cinemas 1V. BAILEY and JOHN HAMMOND STEWART, both citizens of the Uniteo States, and residents of Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Blank-Feeding Mechanism, or" which the following is a specification. v

The present invention relates to a feeding and packing mechanism adapted to take specific articles, such for example as blanks which are to be operated upon, carry such blanks to the operating position and pause While the designed operation is being performed, and then proceed With the blank to a depository. The specific niachanism here illustrated vcas designed and applied as the blank feeding mechanism in a cutting machine for which we have jointly applied for patent March 25, 1915, Serial Number 17,009, such machine being designed to clip or trim the ends 01 blanks for shoe counters, and the feeding mechanism being designed to propel counter blanks into the operating position and remove them from such position after being operated upon.

The present application, therefore, so far as it embodies the blank feeding, guiding, and holding means shown in the application above identified, is a continuation of said application as to all common subject matter.

lV-e have further designed and applied to the machine disclosed in the said application, a depository in which the blanks or other articles are packed by the conveying mechanism. and such depository also forms a part of the present application fOI',Wl1lCl1 we desire protection.

Although the specific embodiment of on invention here shovvn is particularly de signed and adapted for the purpose above indicated, We declare thatthe generic invention involved in the apparatus is not limited to that specific purpose.

ALA.

trated the invention,

Figure l is a plan view of so much of the cutting machine illustrated in our former the drawings wherein We have illus- Specification of Letters Patent. Pfljentgd D 1 1919,

Serial No. 17,069, filed March 25, 1915.

Serial No. 62,832.

This application filed November Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the machine with parts in section on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an elevation on a somewhat larger scale of the depository in Which the articles transported by the conveying mechanism are packed, showing also the adjacent end of the conveyor. V

Fig. 4 is a sectional View of the parts shown in Fig. 2, the section being takenon the plane of line 22 of Fig. 1. I

Fig. 5 is an end view partly in section of the depository as seen from the right of Fig. 3. Fig. taken online 66 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view of a detail taken entire line 7-7 of Fig. 3. V

Fig. 8 is an elevation on an enlarged scale of the device, also shown in Fig. 2, which bears upon and'retards the Work pieces.

Fig. 9 is a detail section on line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a front elevation of so much of i the machine as exhibits the driving mechanism oithe conveyor.

11 is a sectional vievv on line 1111 of Fig. 10.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

. Referring to the drawings, 10 represents generally the frame of the machine on which is mounted a Work table 11 having a for- Ward extension 12 \vliereon the blanks or Work pieces are laid in posit-ion to be engaged by the feeding or propelling mechanism. 13 represents the block which supports the blank While bein operated on, and it is a gripper adapted to hold the piece on the block 13; These parts and the means for operating the gripper are fully described in our prior application above identified and require no repetition of such description in this application. 7

' The blank feeding element or blank feeder proper" consists of two chains 15 and 16 which pass over driving sprockets 17 at the front of the machine, travel toward the rear of the machine in grooves or gnideways in the table 11, pass over guide pulleys 18 and thence down and under guide pulleys 19, forwardly and aroundguide rolls 20 at the forwardpmt of the machine, and up to the sprockets 6 is a detail elevation andsection' 17. The chains thus constitute" endless conveyors which travel in parallel and at the same speed (because the two sprockets with which the chains are severally engaged are of the same size). The sprockets 1'7 and guide wheels 18 are located so that the upper boundaries of the con veyer chains will lie substantially flush with that part of the work holding block 13 against which the gripper ll presses the work, and the guideways or channels for the chains in the table and in such block have sn' icient depth to secure this result, as appears clearly from Fig. 9.

The conveyor chains are caused to propel the work pieces positively by means of fingers 21, which are connected to or formed upon certain links of the chains at definite intervals, and project upwardly as shown in the drawings above the plane of the table 11 and above the block 13. The work pieces adapted to be fed by this feeding mechanism are shown at This particular piece is a shoe counter blank, that is a strip of leather or other suitable material adapted to be formed into what is known in the art as a shoe counter, which is a stiffener for the rear part of a shoe upper. In the further description herein the work pieces operated on will be referred to as counter blanks or simply as blanks, for convenience of description and without intent to limit the invention to any specific use or connection with any specific machine.

The fingers 21 on the two chains are opposite to one another, appears in Fig. 1, whereby they are adapted to engage a blank at two separated points and hold the same perpendicular to the line of feed. Blanks laid upon the table extension 152 between the gages 23, 12%, and just in rear of the vertical plane through the axis of sprockets 17 will be caught by the conveyor lingers and fed.

A presser or retarding device is provided to bear upon the blanks between the con Veyers and exert drag thereon suiiicient to maintain the blanks in firm engagement with the fingers which propel them and prevent the blanks from getting out of position. The presser is shown in its operative position in Figs. 1 and 9. and in more detailin Fig. 8. The press-er is supported by a shaft or rod 25 held by lugs or brackets 26, 27 somewhat in rear of the position where the blanks are engaged with the conveyor, and arranged to bridge the conveyer. The presser itself is constituted by a bar 28 and a forked arm 29 which are positioned by a frame 30, 31 rigidly secured on the bar 25. A portion 32 of this frame surrounds the bar and is secured by a set screw 38 so that the frame is restricted from moving. The part 30 of the frame projects directly toward the table while another part 31 of the frame extends on a gradual incline rearwardly toward the table. The bar 28 entends from one part to the other and is contained at its ends in recesses therein and held by pins 34, 85 set in these arms and passing through slots 36, 37, respectively, of the bar. A spring 38 interposed between the bar and the arm 31 presses the bar toward. the table in a yielding manner, permitting it to rise when a blank is carried under it. Preferably the slots 36 and 37 are limited to this extent, that the bar hangs by the upper ends of the slots on the pins 4: and 35 slightly above the table to insure easy passage of the blank under the forward end of the bar.

The forked arm 29 has a web portion at its forward end which is contained in the recess or fork on the end of arm 31 and is provided with a slot or elongated opening 40, which receives a pin l1 whereby the member 29 is anchored but permitted to rise and descend. A. spring finger d2 fined at one end to the frame arm 31 bears on the rib 39 and presses the member or forked arm 29 toward and against the table. The rear part of the member 29 is the part which is forked, as shown in Fig. 1,- and this part consists of two branches -13, 44 which extend rearwardly between the two conveyer chains and on opposite sides of the gripper 1e and that part of the block 13 against which the blank pressed by the gripper.

Fig. 8 shows the relation of t is chains and the blank fed thereby to the presser or retarder just described. countering the bar 28, raises and passes under the latter and is subjected to pressure applied by the spring 38.

The blank then passes under the member or forked arm 29 and is subjected to the pressure of the spring finger continuously until it reaches the position for being operated upon. The friction of the presser e" erts an appreciable drag upon the blank \lly L a point between the two conveyor chains, thereby causing the fingers of both chains to press squarely against the blank, preventing: the blank from becoming skewed or inclined. and also preventing it from being dislodged to one side or the other by any vibration to which the machine might be subject.

An intermittent motion is given to conveyer chains in order that they in pause while the blank is in the WOllIlL, position and is being operated upon. shaft l5 on which the sprockets 1'? are mounted carries a spur gear 46 meshing with a gear t? on a shaft l8, which latter 1: driven by a shaft 49 through miter gears 50, 51. Gear 4-7 is loose on shaft i8 and is frictionally driven by means of a disk 52 which may be of wood, or may be provided with a wood or leather face next to the gear, and which is splined to the shaft and is pressed toward the gear s7 by a spring 53 The blank, on en reacting against an abutment 54. The disk 52 represents atype of friction clutch.

FlXGCl upon the sprocket shaft 1s a disk 55 having anotch limited by a shoulder 56.'

has a finger 6O projecting towardthe shaft d8, and on the latter is a cam 61 in the same plane with the finger and so projecting that it is adapted .to, strike the finger on each rotation. The direction of rotation turns the disk so that its shoulder 56 is carried toward the stop 57, which being actuated by the spring is caused to obstruct said shoulder and stop the shaft 45. Of course the disk is proportioned as to its size ans speed of rotation, and the shoulder and stop 57 so positioned, with respect to thenumber and locations of the feed lingers, as to arrest the conveyer chains when each blank reaches the operating position. When the conveyor and the driving gear l? are thus arrested, the clutch 52 slips while the shaft d8 continues in rotation. The cam 61 thus continues to rotate and whenit strikes the finger 60., it displaces the stop 5?, allowing the conveyer drive tobe resumed. The position of the cam projection and its speed of rotation are so related to the location of the stop disk shoulder and its speed of rotation as to give time for performance of the designed operation on the blank while the feeding mechanism pauses.

After being operated on, the blank is further propelled to a depository which is located in rear of the guide wheels 18 and consists of stationary curved walls 65 and 66, and a movable wall or'retainer 67. The wall 65 is composed of two plates which are rranged side by side and are somewhat separated as shown in Figs. 1, and 6. These plates are supported by brackets formed by means 68 secured to the machine frame and extending rearwardly therefrom, and braces 69. The wall members 65 are locat d immediately in rear of the wheels 18, from which they extend vertically downward. or approximate y so, andare curved on a curve of wide radius tangent to the supporting beams 68, whereon they extend rearwardly in a substantially horizontal direction, or preferably on a slight downward inclination. The upwardly extending parts or" the wall 66 are braced by straps 70 secured thereto and bolted to the bracket 71, which holds the guide wheels 18. A guide 72 passes from the upper part of the wall 65 over the wheels 18 and its upper edge is carried somewhat in front ofisnch wheels and below the conveyor chains, as shown in 0 being slotted to receive such chains.

The purpose of this guide is, oticourse, to carry the blanks over the wheels and into the depository without permitting the blanks to fall off the chains or become so skewed as not to enter the depository. f 70 The wall 66 formsthe rearward limit of the depository. It consists of two laterally separated members which are connected to a crossbar 66, which latter is supported by the wall 65 and held at the proper distance 3'5 therefrom by rods 73, each of which is socured to one of the members of the wall 65, being clamped thereto by its head and a lock nut '44, and extends rearwardly therefrom through the crossbar 66. A spring 1 5 on the rod in rear of the crossbar reacts against an adjustable abutmentfnut 76 and presses the crossbar forwardly and against a sleeve 77, which abuts against an adjustable nut 78 and forms the locating abutment torthe wall 66. The springs 5 enable the wall to yield and, if desired, to exert some pressure yieldingly against the blanks placed in the depository. V 79 represents a tongue or finger which projects from a pointnear the rear limit of the tablell toward the depository between the conveyer chains and is designed to bear on the blanks with a yielding pressure and retain them in proper position, in a similar manner to that of the retarding device previously described, until they pass over the guide 7 The tongue or finger 7 9 here shown is formedofthe sharply bent ceincral part of a resilient rod orwire, the ends of which are secured in brackets 80 which are widely separated and give sufficient opportunity for resilient yielding of the tongue. Of course an equivalent element for the same purpose could have manyanother construction and arrangement. The sides of the depository or cavity are defined and limited by side plates or walls 81' and 82 mounted adjustably on the members ofthe front wall 65 by slotted straps 7 83 and bolts 8%, each of which passes through one of the straps and the adjacent wall. Thus the walls or guide plates 81 may be adjustedto increase or diminish the width of the receiving space.

j The part 67 which forms the bottom of the receiving space or depository before such space is filled, and after: filling, serves {\Sf a back wall and support for the stacked artioles, is slidingly mounted uponlthewall I 65 so that .it may move from the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3 to that shown in Fig. 4, and progressively out to the ex treme end of the shelf formed by the horizontal part of the wall 65, as indicated by. the full line position in Fig. 3 a-nd in Fig. 2. For convenience of description I will call this part a back rest. It is formed as a plate or block having suificient strength and of a form and areaso corresponding to the area of the blanks and their outline as to support the same securely. For the particular machine-to which our invention is here shown as applied the back rest has the outline shown in Fig. 6 and is adapted to support flat shoe counter blanks, but for.

other purposes it may of course have any other outline, and even for this purpose the outline is not material provided it is such as to give support to the blanks.

The central part of the back rest is provided with a short and wide tongue 86, which projects into the slot between the two parts of the wall and thereby guides the back rest. On the ends of the back rest are rolls 8? which run against the exposed surface of the wall 65. A plate 88, which is provided with bearing pads 89 of some friction producing material, lies against the op posite side of the wall sections 65 and is pressed against the same by a spring 90v on a stud 92, which passes from the back rest through the plate 88 and carries an adjustable nut 93 as an abutment for the spring. In addition there are two spring braces 91 attached to the rear side of the back rest which slant toward and bear against the wall members 65. T he back rest, may be slipped freely along the wall and around the bend thereof, and the friction caused by the bearing arms and the spring 90 is sufficient to hold it in any position, even in the position shown in Fig. l, and when it supports a pile of blanks- The spring braces 94: are provided to support the outer part of the back rest and prevent the rest from becoming so inclined as to grip or clutch the wall 65.

It will be readily apparent that the blanks fed by the conveyers are carried over the uide 72 and conducted by the latter into the epository space, in which the first to enter alls upon the back rest 67, and the succeeding blanks are assembled in a pile. The top of the pile is always kept below the discharge point of the conveyer through the action of a packer or striker 95, which is secured to a rock shaft 96 oscillating in a bracket 97 at one side of the depository space. The packer projects over this space and is caused to rise and descend thereover by oscillation of the shaft 96. gear segment 98 which meshes with a coinplemental gear segment 99 on a shaft 100, which latter is a part of the cutting machine mechanism and is driven oscillatively by the main shaft 101 of said machine by the means fully set forth in our parent application Serial Number 17,009 hlarch 25, 1915. Said shaft 100 carries an arm (shown in said parent application) which is oscillated by acrank and connecting rod mechanism geared to and driven by the shaft a9. The same shaft 101 also drivesthe shaft 49 by which the feeding conveyer chains are actuated, as

Said shaft carries a explained in said parent application. The lower limit of swing of the packer or striker ,is below the plane of the blank feeding travel, and the packer is swung down and then up after each blank is deposited in the receiving space. Thus when the top blank of the pile comes above the lower limit of the packer, the latter pushes the entire pile down, the back rest slipping under the positive pressure thereby applied. As the blanks accumulate, and the accumulation is gradually advanced, the back rest and the accumulation of blanks swing around the bend in the wall 65, and travel toward the outer edge of the shelf. The back wall or retaining wall 66 holds the blanks in the vertical part and the bend of the receiving space, preventing them from falling or being crowded out of the pile.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A blank feeding and storing apparatus comprising a traveling conveyer, a guide wall extending downwardly from the dis charge point of the conveyer and being curved into a substantially horizontal location, retaining walls arranged to define a blank-receiving space in rear of the upright part of said wall, a back rest movably supported on said wall, and a packer arranged to travel up and down over said receiving space for advancing said back rest and the blanks bearing thereon.

2. A blank feedingmechanism comprising in combination with a supporting table, a flexible endless conveyer having a portion moving in substantially the plane of said table, a rod rigidly mounted so as to extend across said conveyer, a frame having divergent arms secured to said rod, a presser hung from the arms of said frame in proximity to the table and to the conveyer, and a spring interposed between said presser and frame, forcing said presser toward the table so as to engage and retard a blank propelled by said conveyer.

3. The combination with a table adapted to support blanks, of an endless flexible conveyer having a portion arranged to travel substantially in the plane of said table, a frame rigidly supported over said conveyer and pressing means connected to said frame adapted to bear on blanks engaged with said conveyer so as to retard the same, said pressing means including a member extending substantially parallel to said conveyer and being at its ends loosely coupled to said frame and extending therefrom over the table in such proximity thereto as to bear on a blank supported on the table, and a spring secured to the frame and bearing on said pressing member between the ends thereof in a manner such as to force the same toward the table.

4. The combination with a pair of parmeans urging said presser toward the plane in which blanks are propelled by the conveyers.

5. A blank feeding flexible conveyer, guiding means for causing said conveyer to travel in a substantially horizontal path and downwardly at the end of such path, guiding walls defining a downwardly extending receiving space at the rear end of such path, a packer vibrated up and down over said space in synchronism with the travel of said conveyer, a movable back rest for the blanks in said receiving space guided to move in such direction as to enlarge such space, and friction-causing means resisting movement of said rest.

6. In a blank feeding device the combination with a feeding conveyer, of a downwardly extending receiving space into which the blanks are fed by the conveyer, means for moving said conveyer step by step, a packer or striker mounted to vibrate up and down in synchronism with the steps of the conveyer over said receiving space, whereby it is adapted to apply pressure to each blank placed on top of the pile in the receiving space, said receiving space being formed in part of a guiding wall which is curved from an upright to a substantially horizontal direction, and a back rest slidingly mounted 011 said wall for supporting the blanks.

7. In a blank feeding and storing apparatus, a wall having substantially horizontal and upright portions connected by a gradual bend, said wall having an intermediate slot or guideway, a back rest supported on said wall and formed with a guide element lying in said slot or guideway and having a friction shoe bearing against the opposite side of the wall, whereby said back rest is adapted to slide along said wall while being frictionally held at any position, retaining walls arranged adjacent to the upright part of said firstnamed wall in positions to define a blank-receiving space, a packer arranged to vibrate downwardly over said space and to press on the blanks there in, and means for delivering blanks to such space.

In testimony whereof we have affixed our signatures.

CHARLES W. BAILEY. JOHN HAMMOND STEWART. 

